The eye was red and sore - the sign of an infection - but I waited the best part of a day, until I'd finished work, before getting it checked out.

When I finally reached the hospital, it was totally bloodshot and the doctor told me that I'd have been blind in that eye in another eight hours.

Ever since, I've been very protective of my eyes and extra cautious about any new procedures.

But I have to admit that the past few years have brought some exciting innovations, tackling the most common sight-threatening problems and taking us a step closer to a specs-free world.

As this is National Eye Week, let's look at the latest advances...

Implants for short sight

An artificial lens, called a phakic intraocular lens, is implanted behind the iris (the coloured bit of your eye) and your own lens.

The implant works in the same way as a contact lens, spreading out light rays so they land on the correct bit of the retina at the back of the eye.

A study by Moorfields Eye Hospital in London has found that results were at least as good as for laser eye surgery.

The implants also fared better on the ability to see objects that don't stand out from the background - plus there was less deterioration in vision over the following 12 months.

It could be a particularly good option for people who are severely short-sighted as they don't fare as well with laser surgery as moderately short-sighted people.

• Need to know...

There's good evidence on safety and short-term benefits but there isn't enough research yet to see the long-term effects.

We know there's a very small increased risk of cataracts and glare at night. It costs around £3,000 per eye.

State-of-the-art implants for cataracts

In a normal cataract op, the eye's natural lens, which has become cloudy, is removed and replaced by an artificial lens. However, the lens only corrects distance vision so most patients still need reading glasses.

But now there are two newer types of more sophisticated lenses,

which also correct the long-sightedness that happens in middle age when the eye loses flexibility.

One is the accommodative intraocular lens, which works with the muscles, mimicking the eye's natural ability to focus. The other is the multi-focal lens, which allows the eye to focus on near and distant objects at the same time.

A significant number of patients are specs-free afterwards, compared to virtually none with standard lenses. Both types cost around £3,500 per eye.

• Need to know...

These lenses are still fairly new and we don't yet know how well they will work in the long term. In small studies, roughly a fifth of patients needed repeat ops after a year. There's also a slightly higher rate of halos and glare than with standard implants.

Drug for diabetes damage

An estimated 50,000 people in the UK have diabetic macular oedema, a complication of diabetes that can lead to sight loss.

Until now the main treatment has been with a laser but this can damage surrounding eye tissue.

Now a new study has shown that a drug used for another sight-threatening condition called, ranibizumab (Lucentis), is more than twice as effective as lasers.

It improves vision rather than just stopping the deterioration. This could allow people to drive, read and work again.

It's especially important as diabetes is on the rise, affecting an estimated three million people in the UK.

• Need to know...

Lucentis has been approved in the UK and elsewhere for the treatment of wet

age-related macular degeneration.

It's not yet licensed but an application for approval has been submitted to EU health authorities.

Telescopic implants for AMD

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that causes a gradual loss of central vision and affects nearly a third of over-75s.

It comes in two main types - dry and wet - though these terms don't relate to how the eye feels.

So far, there are no treatments for the more common dry type and limited ones for wet AMD.

The procedure involves replacing your own lens with two artificial lenses, which work like a telescope, giving a magnifying effect.

They're cleverly aligned to divert the image falling on to the macula (the seeing part of the retina) from the most damaged part towards a less-damaged area. It costs £6,000 per eye.

• Need to know...

It's not a cure but evidence shows it can improve vision in the short term. As it's so new, we don't yet know how effective and safe it is in the long term. Risks include a build-up of fluid in the cornea, the clear front of the eye that focuses light.

In the pipeline

LASER TREATMENT FOR PRESBYOPIA - the type of long-sightedness that occurs in middle age when the lens becomes stiffer and can't focus as well.

There's a laser treatment for normal long-sightedness (hyperopia) but this doesn't work for presbyopia because it has a different cause. However, studies are ongoing into a new

laser technique that may be able to do this.

Stay safe

All these treatments are very new, so research them thoroughly to make an informed decision. Here are some questions to ask your eye surgeon: